And The Band Played On

We're talking about the immune system in my Survey of Disease class this week, and on Monday we began watching And The Band Played On, a movie based on Randy Shilts' book of the same title. We're only watching portions of it, enough to see that it was known long before the public knew that AIDS was transmitted through blood. I read the book about 20 years ago, so instead of going to class today, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a copy of the book and I'm rereading it. I also got the movie from the library and watched it this afternoon. I wanted the whole story, not just the part about blood. The movie ends with a few photos of the Names Project. Does anyone remember this? What has happened to it? I can't find any recent mention of the Names Project anywhere. I remember the book as one of the best I've read, so it's time for a reread. I believe this is the book that began my interest in books about medical journalism - or is it medical narratives?

Yumi is 5 months now. I've been asked to do a talk about puppy raising in my disease class as part of a group project on diseases of the eye. I'm waffling simply because it's a huge class and I'm not sure that I'll get enough time to do justice to the subject with so many people. I fear there is going to be a 1-minute limit for talking, and if so I'll change my topic to something unrelated to puppy raising. I wanted to say more than "this is Yumi, I'm raising her for GDB, where I hope she'll be able to be a guide dog one day." Truly, I'm afraid it's going to have to be like that.

Here's Yumi (5 months now) on her new bed in her colors. It's still kind of overstuffed and Yumi keeps sliding off.



It finally snowed last week, though we weren't hit as hard as Seattle and Olympia.



Finally, my favorite backyard birds (bushtits) are back. I just love them - they come in swarms and I always know that when they arrive, it starts getting lighter in the evening.



P.S. I didn't find out today about the group presentation, so it will probably be next week - after we've acted out the immune system in which I play a lymph node. I wonder if I should make a costume.